All Over the Place

This memoir is one of those cases when the title actually matches the book perfectly. And I mean it in the best way possible. It is a lovely creation, a memoir full of hilarious moments (and some really moving ones) and the most unique travel book I've ever read.

I tend to be cautious when I choose to read a memoir, because there were quite a few instances when self-indulgence took control of the writer and destroyed everything. Also, travel books can easily become boring, in my opinion. Here, Geraldine DeRuiter has created a delicious account of journeys that are of special importance and are related to key moments of her life. New York, Paris and Ireland are in a prominent position but the real star of the book is Italy. This is what made me love it even more since my family on my mother's side is Italian, coming from Napoli (Naples in English). We're talking Southern Italy here, a beautiful, wild, sunny place. You have been warned...

Geraldine comes across as a lovely person, but you will find no trace of self-indulgence. She apparently has unlimited resources of patience to deal with her mother, unlimited resources of love for her husband and, most importantly, unlimited resources of courage to overcome a very serious obstacle. I really enjoyed the way she narrates her experiences and the optimism that comes from her writing. I bet that she must be a wonderful travelling companion. She is quirky and weird and down-to-earth.

I'm not a fan of blogs outside of our book community but judging from this book, I should definitely start reading hers. If you want a memoir that balances humour, life experiences and adversities, along with beautiful descriptions of Italy, then ‘'All Over The Place'' should find a place in your reading schedule.